Authors note OK so I haven't written or posted for a long time health and work problems got in the way. This tag to 3.13 wouldn't go away. At the time of writing I haven't seen past this episode. Hopefully this will kick start me into finishing the other stories I have on here.
Let me know what you think J
Mac's last thought before he passed out was that he had failed. He had one chance at knocking out the homicidal maniac that had kidnapped him and getting back to rescue Boze and Riley from his accomplice and he had blown that chance Getting himself shot meant game over. He had failed. They were his responsibility and he had failed them.
The return to consciousness was confusing. The pain hit first and it took a moment before he could remember why his thigh was on fire. Then there were the voices, familiar voices, voices he knew almost as well as his own Bozer and Riley, but there was something wrong with that, some reason they shouldn't be… He looked up at their concerned faces and felt nothing but a wave of relief wash over him. He hadn't failed… He… No, hang on he had he was down but somehow they had saved themselves and they were here. They were here and they were worried about him which meant they were OK. Didn't it?
"Are you guys OK?"
The irony that he was asking that question when he was the one lying on the ground with a bullet in his leg wasn't lost on him, but the last he knew they were being held by a thug with a gun and likely not much more of a conscience than his boss., not to mention the fact that they had barely started their wilderness training before they were abandoned in the middle of nowhere sans instructor so if he was a little concerned about their wellbeing then he had a right.
Bozer was having none of it. The exasperation in his voice obvious, causing Mac to take stock of his own situation.
He was already exhausted and dehydrated from the day's exertions add that to the bullet wound and the blood loss would quickly lead to shock. So first job stop the bleeding.
"What do we do?"
Mac gave calm clear instructions knowing that every step was going to suck. Putting pressure on the wound, packing it, dressing it, every one a fun filled excursion into the land of how much more pain can this bullet wound cause. Turns out the answer to that was a whole lot. Each step more agonising than the last until finally it was done. Now all they had to do was get him to the hospital.
Just get to the hospital.
The next time Mac surfaced to consciousness was when they were lifting him onto the makeshift sled. He cried out in pain as the movement of his leg sent new shards of agony cutting through him.
"Mac? Mac I'm sorry," It was Bozer. "We'll be real quick getting you settled. Just take some deep breaths. "
"s'okay" Mac managed to get the word out "Not your fault," he reassured. After a minute of deep breathing he had the pain back under control enough to take in his surroundings. Riley and Bozer had done a brilliant job of finishing his travois and were getting ready to move out. He rested his head back relieved that he could surrender the job of getting out of there to his friends. He braced himself as he felt the end of the travois lift as Bozer and Riley took up their positions ready to start the long pull but it wasn't enough they had barely taken two steps before the wooden frame bounced sending another wave of daggers through his thigh. Mercifully the world started to grey out again as he lost consciousness but not before he had chance to fleetingly wonder if Bozer and Riley knew where they were going.
He wasn't sure if it was the change in pace or Bozer's excited shout that pulled him back to consciousness but once again the principle emotion was relief. His students clearly had been paying attention at least as far as navigation was concerned because they had made it back to the gas station come wilderness one stop. They had done it, they had got him here. Even as he heard Bozer get on the phone to Matty and Fred was pressing a bottle of much needed water into his hand all he could think of was his pride in his friends. They hadn't just survived the wilderness training, they had done much more than mere survival.
When asked what had happened that was all he could relay. They had saved him. They had more than passed the wilderness survival course.
Riley looked at him seriously before giving Fred a proper answer to his question. "He's been shot in the leg at close range. Entry wound but no exit. We packed and dressed the wound to stop the bleeding about an hour ago. He's been in and out of consciousness since then."
"How long to the medivac? " Fred directed his question at Bozer.
"30 minutes. " Bozer replied not liking the look on the older man's face.
Fred turned to look at Macgyver the frown staying put. Mac paused mid sip and lowered the water bottle as he met his friend's gaze.
There was a clear unspoken conversation going on.
"What?" Bozer asked, not being fully conversant in meaningful stares. "What's wrong? "
Mac sighed and rested his head back as Fred turned back to Bozer. "Let's just say, "
"Don't say it, "Mac interrupted
"That Mac isn't out of the woods yet. Pun very much intended"
"Mac? " Riley questioned looking down at her friend.
Mac took another sip of water. "There's still a high risk of hypovolemic shock before help gets here."
"That"s if you're not already in the early stages" Fred added helpfully.
Mac considered for a moment. Mild headache, cold, sweaty despite feeling cold, nausea, drifting in and out of consciousness, all could be related to exhaustion, dehydration and pain but shock was an equally strong candidate and untreated that could still kill him. They needed to try to minimise the possible effects. "OK Riley now I know you remember your first aid training. "
"Seriously you're going to treat this as a teaching opportunity because.." Bozer broke off as the bottle of water slipped from Mac's fingers. "Hey Mac now that's not funny. Mac?"
Bozer had hoped that his friend was messing with them but it was immediately obvious that this was no joke. Mac's complexion had turned a strange shade of grey. Without a word Fred and Riley snapped into action lifting Macgyver onto the wooden porch so that he would be flat and grabbing one of the packs to raise his legs.
Fred looked up at Bozer. "There are some blankets inside."
"On it,"Bozer was moving before the words left his lips.
Riley checked Mac's pulse, relieved when she found it even though it was faster than she would have liked and had a disconcerting fluttery quality to it. Bozer was back with the blankets tucking them around Mac as she tried unsuccessfully to wake him again.
She looked up at Fred. "What do we do now?"
Fred met her gaze. "All we can do is wait and pray. "
Mcg Mcg Mcg
It was sheer coincidence that Bozer and Riley and Jack were walking into the hospital together. Such a coincidence that Jack almost blew right past them.
"Hey Jack"
Jack stopped and turned giving the youger agents chance to catch up.
"Hey are you two OK? "Jack asked as they approached.
Riley's answer was to throw herself into a hug burying her head into his shoulder. The move surprised Jack enough that it took a moment for him to process and respond. But when he did he hugged her tight enough to let her feel the comfort she so clearly needed.
"Well guess that's my answer right there. "
He looked up at Bozer as he continued the hug.
"I guess we're OK," Bozer stated. "but we'll all be much better when we know Mac is out of danger."
Riley loosened off the hug slightly embarrassed by the neediness of her actions. "Sorry,'she said trying to compose herself.
"Hey no need for apologies" Jack reassured "sounds like you had quite an ordeal out there. So how about we go find out how our boy is doing? "
Riley nodded and allowed herself to be ushered along by Jack, welcoming his strong presence and feeling safe for the first time since she had woken up that morning and found that Mac was missing.
It was another anxious two hours until they found themselves sitting in Mac's room listening to the steady beat of the heart monitor and waiting for him to wake up. None of them quite prepared to leave even though the doctors had assured them that he was out of danger.
Once he was awake and talking to them then they would believe it.
Mac felt like he was floating on a nice fluffy cloud that didn't bump and drop and drive shards of glass through his leg muscles. In fact he couldn't feel his leg at all. He couldn't feel any pain or anything, nothing.. That was good, so much better than the agony of.. But if there was nothing.. No that wasn't right. It should hurt because he got shot and getting shot caused pain and he needed to feel the pain to know that he was still alive because..
"Hey Mac., You waking up on us buddy?
Jack's familiar voice dragged him the rest of the way back to consciousness and he opened his eyes to see Jack's concerned features staring back at him. He also caught Riley and Bozer who had both stood and moved to the end of the bed at the first signs that Mac might be waking up.
"Hey Jack," Mac croaked through the dryness in his throat.
"So once again you prove that I can't let you loose anywhere without homicidal maniacs trying to kill you." Jack helped raise the head of the bed as he spoke.
"To be fair we"re usually going after the homicidal maniacs, "Mac offered allowing Jack to do with a look what he didn't have to put into words.
The 'how are you, I'm okay. No but how are you really doing. Honest Jack I'm hurt but I'm going to be OK,',communicated silently between them barely hidden beneath the banter.
"I"ll give you that we do pick up some dangerous missions but have you ever considered that given the number of times you've been kidnapped when not on a mission that Karma is trying to tell you something? "
"Like what? "
"Like maybe you should consider hiring a full time bodyguard? "
Macgyver shook his head. "Don't need one, " he stated. "I've got you."He met Jack's gaze, a gaze that his friend struggled to hold steady. "and when you're not around I've got them," he nodded towards Riley and Bozer.
Jack looked at the two younger agents, despite their success of saving Mac this time it just wouldn't be enough, Not once he had gone Matty would have to find him someone good, better than good.
Jack realised two things simultaneously first that he had held the look just a little too long for them not to start realising there was something wrong and secondly if he didn't change the subject his emotions would get the better of him and they'd then know that something was wrong. "So the doc said he had to put three pins into your leg. Does that mean a lifetime of setting off metal detectors or is there a gadget you can use to get around that? "
Mac didn't miss the brief flicker of emotion that crossed Jack's features before the deliberate change of subject but this wasn't the time or the place to call him on it. Instead he launched into an enthusiastic explanation of how commercial metal detectors worked whilst his friends pretended to understand, and for this moment all was right with the world.